A. Before granting any franchise, privilege, lease or right of any kind to use any public property described in § 15.2-2100 or easement of any description, for a term in excess of five years, except in the case of and for a trunk railway, the city or town proposing to make the grant shall advertise a descriptive notice of the ordinance proposing to make the grant once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the city or town. The descriptive notice of the ordinance may also be advertised as many times in such other newspaper or newspapers, published outside the city, town or Commonwealth, as the council may determine. The advertisement shall include a statement that a copy of the full text of the ordinance is on file in the office of the clerk of the city or town council.

B. The advertisement shall invite bids for the franchise, privilege, lease or right proposed to be granted in the ordinance. The bids shall be in writing and delivered upon the day and hour named in the advertisement and shall be opened in public session and marked for identification by the person designated in the advertisement to receive such bids. The cost of the required advertisement shall be paid by the city or town which shall be reimbursed by the person to whom the grant is made. The city or town shall have the right to reject any and all bids and shall reserve this right in the advertisement.

Code 1950, §§ 15-728, 15-729; 1962, c. 623, §§ 15.1-308, 15.1-309; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 64; 1983, c. 138; 1997, c. 587; 2001, c. 498.